Mock drill on COVID readiness at hospitals in Karnataka on Dec 27

Bengaluru: A mock drill to test the COVID emergency preparedness of health facilities in Karnataka will be conducted on December 27, state Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Friday.

Addressing reporters here, after a meeting with Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya, he said, “We are conducting the mock drill in all our health facilities on December 27 just to make sure all our facilities, right from infrastructure health personnel, our equipment, oxygen generators, everything are in working condition.”

Mandaviya held an emergency COVID meeting with all the state health ministers and gave a presentation on the prevailing status of pandemic across the world.

“Mandaviya has given us several guidelines. He has also directed all the states to ensure that adequate beds are reserved for COVID patients in district hospitals, Taluk hospitals, and also in the private establishments,” Sudhakar said.

The state health minister noted that about five to six lakh cases were being reported daily but of them, 80 percent of these cases are contributed by only 10 countries. It was obvious that India has to be careful and take all precautionary measures.

“The Union Minister has given us some specific directions like increasing the surveillance and testing. Secondly, appropriate COVID behavior should be brought back and thirdly we have been asked to conduct mock drill in our health facilities.”

On guidelines for the New Year, he said the Centre has asked the states to closely monitor major activities.

“Any activity that involves thousands of people is a big gathering. So, we need to closely monitor and should also ask people to follow COVID appropriate behaviour, because this is not the time you let your guard down,” Sudhakar added.